I'm thankful for a lot of sports stuff this year

4:50 p.m. EST, November 24, 2012|Jerry Greene, FROM THE CHEAP SEATS

Burp.

Where am I, and why are there turkey feathers in my mouth?

Oh, that's right. It was Thanksgiving, and I wasn't willing to wait for the oven to get hot. But now that the gorging is over and I've come to my senses (so to speak), here are a few things I am still thankful about:

UCF sports. Spent most of my life never being a fan of a team, so it's nice to embrace the Knights as my own. You should try it.

The Magic. Same as above. Granted, this will be a long year and, granted, I'm a "TV fan" who will be buying few if any tickets and, granted, I will take cheap shots because it's what I do. But I'm glad they are here and the community is better for it.

Jai-alai. Been my favorite sport for eons. I fear for its future so, if you have never seen it, give it a try now even if this is a risky time to become a fan.

NFL and fantasy football. Yes, others can use their time climbing mountains or inventing marvelous things. I'll agonize over starting Andrew Luck or Colin Kaepernick — and love the agony, thank you very much.

Saved this for last: the BCS. I always say I am a great fan of chaos, so I love the way the BCS messes with our expectations. I also say that I don't like dynasties but that may be a lie. This was written before Saturday, so I hope nothing stops Notre Dame from facing Alabama. A gigantic clash that no playoff could improve upon.

Fab Five Football Picks

Last week: Room for improvement here. An OK 9-5 straight up (104-55-1 for season) but a stinky bad 4-10 against the spread (73-86-1 for season). However, I was 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the jelly on turkey day, so digest that!

Who would have thought the Bucs would be in a significant and evenly matched game this late in the season? Josh Freeman and Bucs offense should do damage, but how can we get around Bucs giving up the most passing yardage in the league? Answer: We can't.

This is how it went for QB Blaine Gabbert: He was listed as questionable at the start of the week but, a day later, somebody said "Oh, the heck with it" and just cut him. Happy Thanksgiving, Blaine. You know you are in trouble when the Titans have your play date circled on their calendar.

Jerry says: Titans by 10.

St. Louis (3-6-1) at Arizona (4-6) — Cards favored by 1

Looks as if Cards coach Ken Whisenhunt is going with rookie Ryan Lindley at QB over John Skelton. Here's Ken's praise of Lindley: "Statistically, obviously, there's nothing to write home about." Got it, coach. Good enough for us.

Pack may get back WR Greg Jennings from injury. Jennings said he felt fine in practice this week but did have one problem: "My wind is horrible." Funny thing, people say that about me all the time — especially behind my back.

Jerry says: Giants but just by 1.

These are the notes, folks

Here's Bud Selig after approving the Marlins' "Going Out Of Business" trade with Toronto: "Going forward, I will continue to monitor this situation with the expectation that the Marlins will take into account the sentiments of their fans, who deserve the best efforts and considered judgment of their club." And the amazing thing is that his nose didn't grow an inch.

Saw that the Big Ten Network kept calling Maryland and Rutgers "sleeping giants." If that's true, you can say the same about Sleepy and Sneezy.

Last year South Florida football coach Skip Holtz lost seven of his last eight games — and was given an extension to 2017. This year Skip is 3-7 with two to play — so he's got a shot at getting a new extension to 2024.

Did you see the Macy's parade on NBC? The first two of the three hours was practically nothing more than promotions for network shows and bits from Broadway musicals. The bands and balloons were held to the last hour, perhaps because there are far fewer bands and balloons. I'm a bands and balloons guy.

Remember the Immaculate Reception?

Whether you do or do not remember, the story of how one Steeler fan got the football in honor of his four-day old son, Sam, is sure to bring both a smile and a tear while reading the description by Dan Gigler of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. One more of the countless examples of how sports can affect the lives of participants and observers alike. Check it out here: http://thesent.nl/10xCwT5

Jerry can't recall doing anything of an immaculate nature but loves spending a part of Sundays with you and hopefully again Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon during The Beat of Sports, hosted by Marc Daniels on 740 the Game. He also answers emails sent to osogreene@aol.com. Why not? He's not that busy.